Grilled Sausages with Bourbon-Molasses Sauce

Skip the typical, ho-hum hot dogs and grab some flavor-loaded, local sausages when you’re ready to grill. And skip the bun too. Juicy grilled sausages with a killer sauce do just fine without the bread bed.

The sauce here: a combination of rich, tart-sweet molasses and oaky straight bourbon. Dijon mustard and a little shallot add a good flavor balance, and a bit of butter turns the texture silky smooth. Drizzle your naked sausages with a little of this and you’ll be glad you left the hot dog behind.

Note: For this recipe, I bought 6 small sausages (about 3 ounces each) from a local butcher, so they were smaller than typical store-bought sausages. Choose whatever size you like and adjust grilling time accordingly—just buy local if you can.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 3 tsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 3 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp bourbon
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 3-oz sausages
• olive oil, for rubbing

3-oz Sausages

Preparation

1. Light a grill for medium heat with room for off-heat grilling.
2. Heat a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat and add 2 teaspoons butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the molasses, bourbon, and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer, stirring frequently.
4. Simmer 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter. Cover and re-warm gently just before using.

Shallot in Butter

Molasses Mixture Added

Bourbon-Molasses Sauce

1. Lightly rub the sausages with olive oil and lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the sausages over direct heat, turning a few times, until char marks appear. Move off heat and grill until just cooked through, turning a few times, about 15 minutes total, depending on size.

Sausages Beginning to Grill

After Turning

Transfer the sausages to a platter and drizzle with a little of the bourbon-molasses sauce. Serve, passing remaining sauce at the table.

Grilled Sausages with Bourbon-Molasses Sauce